A Sacred Duty
High-profile Whistleblower case
Paula Pedene's high-profile Whistleblower case exposed the waits and delays for VA health care amongst our nation’s veterans.
When the scandal broke, both the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and the Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel were forced to resign. The Phoenix VA Director Sharon Helman, was later fired for ethical violations and became a convicted felon. After the story broke in Phoenix, the VA learned that 111 VA hospitals across the country were unethically delaying health care for our nation’s veterans. Due to the disclosures of Pedene and others, VA became a lightning rod for whistleblower disclosures and, to this day, has the most filings of whistleblower cases of any agency. Pedene’s new book A Sacred Duty, How a Whistleblower Took on the VA and Won, is a heart-wrenching tale of the challenges whistleblowers face when telling the truth.
In The News
News Articles
Before the national VA Wait Time Scandal exposure, Paula’s legal team worked on exposing her case through two news articles. Then after the Office of Special Counsel, who handles Whistleblower cases, helped her obtain settlement, her win was covered by several news outlets including USA Today:
AZ Central, by Investigative Reporter Dennis Wagner, March 29, 2013
VA Official Demoted After Her Testimony
Read the Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care article here
Washington Post, by David Fahrenthold, August 3, 2014 August 3, 2014
A Bold Move Can Be Followed By One to the Department Basement
USA Today, by Dennis Wagner, Sept. 29, 2014
Phoenix VA Whistleblowers Receive Retaliation Settlements:
Since her VA Whistleblower Case settlement, more than a decade ago, Paula Pedene continues to advocate the importance of moral-ethical values and supporting our nation’s veterans:
KTAR, Amazing Arizonans
Paula Pedene discusses VA scandals, helping veterans
ABC 15
A decade after the scandal, wait time concerns return:
12 News
On the 10th anniversary of the wait time scandal, problems still exist:
PBS Horizon
10 Years After the VA Wait Time Scandal:
Phoenix Magazine
March 2023:
Whistleblower Network News
The Culture Needs to Change:
Military Times Op-Ed
A Whistleblower’s Advice, Keep the Faith in Difficult Times:
Phoenix New Times
Phoenix VA Whistleblower describes ordeal in a Sacred Duty Book
PBS Horizon
Phoenix VA Wait Time Whistleblower Releases New Book About Scandal PBS:
ABC 15
Phoenix VA Wait Time Whistleblower Releases New Book About Scandal:
PR News
What PR Pros Should Learn from the Courage of Whistleblowers:
Strive Magazine
Why Ethical Leadership is a Sacred Duty:
Book Pipeline
Author Winners, A Sacred Duty:
Sun Lakes Splash
Heroic VA Whistleblower and Author Paula Pedene to Speak in Sun Lakes:
Yahoo News
Phoenix VA Whistleblower Breaks Her Silence:
Ethical Voices
Blowing the Whistle on Unethical Practices – Paula Pedene, APR, Fellow PRSA:
Ethical Voices
Blowing the Whistle on Unethical Practices – Paula Pedene, APR, Fellow PRSA:
PR Pro
Strategies and Tactics:
IPR
Triumph of a PR Whistleblower and Hero:
PRSA ICON
PR Pro Acceptance Speech:
Phoenix Business Journal
Government whistleblower Paula Pedene garners top national PR award:
Socia Media Today
Taking a Stand for Ethics:
IPRA
The Whistleblower’s Story, a Modern-Day Battle of David versus Goliath:
Fierce Health Care
Whistleblowers Receive Settlement:
Washington Free Beacon
Top Phoenix VA Managers Escape Punishment:
- Video: Amazing Arizonans: Paula Pedene discusses VA scandals, helping veterans: https://ktar.com/story/youtube_videos/video-amazing-arizonans-paula-pedene-discusses-va-scandals-helping-veterans/
- On the 10-year anniversary of the wait time scandal, problems still exist: https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/az-vets-cite-progress-problems-10-year-anniversary-town-hall-of-va-scandal/75-1581e8b0-a397-4127-9fc3-fd098f029b3e
- Whistleblower Network News, the Culture Needs to Change: https://whistleblowersblog.org/podcasts/the-culture-needs-to-change-wnn-exclusive-interview-with-va-whistleblower-paula-pedene/Heroic
- Phoenix VA Wait Time Whistleblower Releases New Book About Scandal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nh6UV8kzv4
- This title: Phoenix VA Whistleblower describes ordeal in a Sacred Duty Book so replace this llnk:https://paulapedene.com/in_the_news/phoenixs-va-whistleblower-describes-ordeal-in-a-sacred-duty/ with this one:https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/the-phoenix-whistleblower-who-brought-down-a-va-secretary-shares-her-story-in-a-new-book-13920073
- A Whistleblower’s Advice, Keep the Faith in Difficult Times: https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2023/07/30/a-whistleblowers-advice-keep-the-faith-in-difficult-times/
- Heroic VA Whistleblower and Author Paula Pedene to Speak in Sun Lakes: https://sunlakessplash.com/heroic-va-whistleblower-and-author-paula-pedene-to-speak-in-sun-lakes-may-15/
- AZ Central: https://paulapedene.com/2013/03/29/az-central-arizona-official-demoted-after-her-testimony/
- Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-whistleblowers-bold-move-can-be-followed-by-one-to-department-basement/2014/08/03/39d12656-182f-11e4-9e3b-7f2f110c6265_story.html
- USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/29/phoenix-va-whistle-blowers-retaliation-settlements/16440425/
- Taking a Stand for Ethics: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/taking-stand-ethics-and-accountability-pr-paula-pedene-apr
- The Whistleblower’s Story, a Modern Day Battle of David versus Goliath: https://www.ipra.org/news/itle/itl-159-the-whistleblowers-story-a-modern-day-battle-of-david-versus-goliath/
- Yahoo News: https://news.yahoo.com/phoenix-va-s-original-whistleblower- 1325508524146742.html
- Social Media Today: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/taking-stand-ethics-and-accountability-pr-paula-pedene-apr
- Yahoo News: Whistleblower Breaks Her Silence
- Fierce Health Care: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/healthcare/va-scandal-whistleblowers-receive-settlement-for-unfair-treatment
- IPRA: IPRA | ITL #159 The whistleblower’s story: a modern day battle of David versus Goliath
- Washington Free Beacon: https://freebeacon.com/issues/top-managers-at-phoenix-va-escaped-punishment-after-waitlist-scandal/
- PR Pro, Strategies and Tactics: https://paulapedene.com/2015/12/17/a-talk-with-pr-pro-of-the-year-paula-l-pedene-apr-fellow-prsa/
- PR Pro Acceptance Speech: https://paulapedene.com/2019/02/16/pr-pro-of-the-year-acceptance-speech/
- Phoenix Business Journal: Government whistleblower Paula Pedene garners top national PR award – Phoenix Business Journal
- Ethical Voices: https://www.ethicalvoices.com/2018/11/05/ethical-voices-whistleblower-paula-pedene-apr/
- IPR: https://paulapedene.com/2016/03/14/interview-with-paula-pedene-triumph-of-a-pr-hero-and-whistleblower/
- Book Pipeline Author Winners: https://bookpipeline.com/paula-pedene-and-doug-williams
- PBS: https://azpbs.org/horizon/2021/11/phoenix-whistleblower-shares-experience-exposing-va-scandal/
- Strive Magazine: https://magazine.thestriveproject.com/issue/jan-mar-2022/why-ethical-leadership-is-a-sacred-duty/
- PR News: https://www.prdaily.com/what-pr-pros-should-learn-from-the-courage-of-whistleblowers/
- Phoenix New Times: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/the-phoenix-whistleblower-who-brought-down-a-va-secretary-shares-her-story-in-a-new-book-13920073
- Phoenix Magazine, March 2023 (coming April 2023)
News Releases
A Sacred Duty – For Immediate Release
Heroic Phoenix VA Whistleblower-Local Author Paula Pedene to mark Independence Day at American Legion Event Phoenix, Arizona–As Independence Day approaches, heroic Whistleblower, Paula Pedene continues
Government Whistleblower Paula Pedene Earns PRSA Top Honors
NEW YORK– The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) selected Paula L. Pedene APR, Fellow PRSA, as the Society’s 2015 Public Relations Professional of the Year awardee. Pedene